<nettime> Serbian Unity Congress responds to Srebrenica-related arrests of Serbs

["Ivo Skoric" <vze3c9dm@verizon.net>]

Fully expectedly, they sound quite displeased. The letter also 
discovers the reason why those arrests happened suddenly after so 
many years of those people being good workers and quiet neighbors: 
the new Assistant US Attorney of Nevada formerly worked for the ICTY 
involved with Srebrenica case.
ivo


------- Forwarded message follows -------

SUC responds to arrest of Serb immigrants in Phoenix, Arizona 
Serbian Unity Congress 


FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 


CONTACT: Andy Verich 
202-463-8643 


The Honorable Alberto R. Gonzales 
Attorney General 
Washington, DC 20503 

Sir: 

If has come to our attention that there has recently been a sweep of arrests of
Serb immigrants. They include men and women up to 65 years in age, many of them
formerly victims of war crimes who spent time in concentration camps during the
war in Bosnia & Hercegovina. This wholesale attack follows other
similarly-based arrests of Serb immigrants during the last year. The people in
question have been charged with lying on an affidavit they signed during the
immigration process denying that they served in military forces during the war. 

The arrests have been focused on those who are located in Phoenix and other
parts of Arizona. Coincidentally, these arrests have taken place since Ms.
Camille Bibles became the new Assistant US Attorney in Nevada. Ms. Bibles was
formerly a lawyer for the Office of the Prosecutor at ICTY involved in the
Srebrenica case. Coincidentally also, after the arrests, the indicted were
approached by ICTY prosecution representatives to testify as witnesses in the
ICTY Srebrenica and other trials. 

After being jailed for not answering truthfully on the affidavit about his
military service, one of the arrested parties was threatened with indictment as
a war criminal if he did not testify in one of two cases at the ICTY. He had
been identified by a Serb (protected) witness.  But when official transcripts
showed that the protected witness who fingered him admitted to lying about this
man, the war crimes charge was dropped. 

We are an organization of Americans of Serb background throughout the United
States and our membership and friends are very concerned with the
discrimination implications in this action. Morever, we are concerned and upset
that the deep and terrible wounds of the Bosnian war and tragedy are not being
allowed to rest and heal. Have not those people suffered enough? We are not
aware of a similar wholesale attack on the basis of an affidavit on the tens of
thousands of Croatian or Muslim immigrants from Bosnia & Hercegovina who also
served in various military units during the war. 

We are very concerned that: 

This action represents selective prosecution based on membership in an ethnic
group, therefore ethnic profiling; There has not been any prosecution of
members of any other ethnic groups involved in this or other civil conflicts
solely on the basis of membership in a foreign army. Can you please assist in
assessing this problem by answering the following critical questions: 

Has your office conducted identical or similar investigations of other ethnic
groups who were involved in the civil war in Bosnia or elsewhere and have been
admitted to the US? If so, when, where and how many members of the other ethnic
groups have been indicted? Or, if not, is this simply limited to Serb
immigrants? Have your representatives applied the same due diligence and in
proportionally the same number of cases in examining members of other ethnic
groups as you did with the Serbian immigrants? If not, why not? Please give us
the specifics in this answer. Thank you for your assistance and cooperation.
Very truly yours, 

Best regards, 

Nenad Vukicevic 
President, Serbian Unity Congress 

        Cc: Secretary Condoleeza Rice, Department of State 
Secretary Michael Chertoff, Department of Homeland Security 
Congressmen Dan Burton, Rahm Emanuel, co-chairmen, Serbian
Congressional Caucus Senate and House Committees on the Judiciary
Senate and House Subcommittees on Immigration and Refugees (Alex, 12
December 2006, 17:23)        
        These people are war criminals. They were told not to put any
        military information on the application. they are good hard
        working people who deserve to live peacefully and try to
        change their status from refugees to citizens. Of course, if
        anyone is directly responsible for committing a crime they
        must pay the price and do the time. With all due respect to
        all the good and Bosnians not all Serbs are war criminals.
(Big John, 12 December 2006, 23:04)              =95
  Don't forget St. Louis MO. as there are thousands of Bosnian Muslim
  criminals lurking in the shadows.
(John, 12 December 2006, 23:42)              =95
  =AB we are concerned and upset that the deep and terrible wounds of
  the Bosnian war and tragedy are not being allowed to rest and 
heal.=BB
  I am concerned that Mr Vukicevic seem to care more about alledged
  criminals than their victims. Let justice be done. If these guys 
are
  criminals, their place is not in the USA but in a jail somewhere in
  Serbia or Bosnia.
(Sam, Chicago, 13 December 2006, 15:19)

------- End of forwarded message -------------------------------------

Ivo Skoric
105 Robbins Street
Rutland VT 05701
802.775.7257
ivo@balkansnet.org
balkansnet.org


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